The overall effect we wanted to achieve was a kind of re-telling of the history of 2008, a counter-history, told through technological innovations and new ideas rather than through elections and stock market numbers and stuff. Also we wanted to run some pretty pictures and sell some ads.

Oh, and we picked an Invention of the Year. Not an easy thing this year — last year was a gimme, what with the iPhone and all, but this year: not obvious. So we went with the invention that we think will, down the line if not immediately, have the most massively transformative effect on the world. See what you think.